Sake Social — How Sake is made Item has been added to your cart, View Cart Sorry , we do not have that amount in stock, View other items... How Sake is made Below is an example of the sake brewing process. The Sakahan brewery in Osaka has graciously allowed us to visit their facilities to explain how a modern sake brewery works. Step 1: Polishing The rice grains are first run through a milling machine that strips away the outer (and some of the inner) layers to expose the starchy cores. These milling rates are the determining factor on what category the sake will fall under (i.e. Junmai Daiginjo ). Step 2: Washing The rice is then washed to remove excess particles and protein residuals that still remain after milling. These impurities would otherwise affect the quality and taste of the brew. Step 3: Soaking The newly polished rice is then soaked for a specific amount of time in order to add moisture to the grain which will aid the steaming process. Step 4: Steaming Steam helps to bring out the starch molecules in the grain as well as help to sterilize.

Step 5: Saccharification Koji mold is sprinkled on and carefully massaged into a portion of the rice to convert the starch to sugar. Step 6: Moto or Yeast Starter A yeast starter (made of water, koji rice, yeast, and in most cases, lactic acid) is added to "super-charge" fermentation. Step 7: Moromi aka "The Main Mash" Saccharification and fermentation (multiple parallel fermentation) occur simultaneously when all of the ingredients are added in specific amounts and at the right stages. Step 8: Pressing How to drink sake in Japan - Telegraph Travel How to drink sake in Japan Serving sake may look simple, but, as with many things in Japan, a subtle etiquette stands behind it Photo: Fotolia Picture: Fotolia Like sushi, sake is an integral part of Japanese cuisine that foreign visitors often only have a superficial understanding of. Here, Tokyo-based world champion sake sommelier Kaoru Izuha presents her definitive guide to Japan's national drink.

Enlarge World champion sake sommelier Kaoru Izuha Kaoru Izuha is assistant manager of Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo 's sushi restaurant Sushi SORA and the most recent winner of the Kikisake-shi (sake sommelier) category of the Kikisake-shi World Championship. The competition honours the world's best sake sommeliers and Kaoru was awarded the accoldate from a pool of 25,000 certified sake sommelier competitors. Here she provides her beginner's guide to sake, explaining the origins of the drink, how to order and serve it, and the best dishes to enjoy it with. What is sake? Sake is a Japanese alcoholic drink made of fermented rice, koji (often translated as rice malt or yeast made from rice) and water. In Japanese, the word ‘sake’ also means alcoholic beverages in general. When did sake originate? There’s some dispute about the drink’s origins, but a book written around 713AD mentions an alcoholic beverage made from rice. Another book written at around the same time also includes a description of a fermented rice alcoholic drink. Both would be considered rudimentary forms of modern-day Japanese sake. How is sake made?

It can be a protracted process but, explained simply, sake is made when rice is ground, washed and steamed. Then some of the steamed rice will be used to make koji, the yeast derived from rice. After that the koji and the remaining steamed rice and water are mixed and then allowed to ferment. More rice, koji and water is added to the mixture thereafter, at which point the drink is filtered and bottled. Who makes sake? Sake makers or brewers are known as tōji. They’re similar to a chef de cave. Workers in sake breweries are called kurabito. What’s the best temperature to serve sake at? That depends on what type of sake you are drinking – the same drink can taste noticeably different dependent on whether it’s served hot or cold. Sake can be categorized in four different groups and each group has its own best temperature. Kunshu sake is rich, with a fruity aroma and flavour and is often popular with foreign visitors. It ‘s typically served at between 8 and 15 degrees Celsius. Soshu sake is simple, light and fresh; it’s the most common type of sake in Japan and is served at between 5 and 10 degrees.

Junshu sake is a traditional type of sake that’s rich and dense; it’s served at between 15 and 18 degrees or 40 and 55 degrees. Jukushu sake is the most expensive type and is served infrequently; it’s full-bodied and very rich with a spicy aroma, and is served at between 15 and 25 degrees. What are the popular and premium brands of sake? There are about 1,600 producers of sake in Japan, and 99 per cent of them are medium- or small-scale producers so there are always new variants to discover. That said, some popular brands are Hakkaisan, Kubota, Dassai and Dewazakura. Two premium brands of sake that you can also find abroad are Kakunko Junmai Daiginjo and Dassai Junmai Daiginjyo “23Ni-wari San-bu” – both are highly recommended. Dassai also goes very well with western dishes using white fish, especially if teamed with herbs and lemon, so it can serve as a good introduction to the drink if you can’t make it to Japan just yet.

I’m also a fan of Kokuryu Ishidaya, which is a premium vintage sake only made available in November each year. How should you decide which sake to drink? Really it’s best to firstly ask staff at the bar or restaurant or shop for their advice, as there are so many different types of sake to choose from. Where do people drink sake? Japanese people drink sake both at home and when out at restaurants and bars. Sake is particularly associated with a casual style of bar we have here in Japan called izakaya. How do you order sake in a bar? Each sake has a suggested temperature at which to drink it, so it’s worth asking the sommelier or staff how best to enjoy a specific sake. However, some sakes can be enjoyed at different temperatures, and can be ordered hot or cold dependent on your preference. With regards to measurements, sake is usually served in a decanter called Tokkuri in measurements of 180ml or 360ml, or in a 720ml bottle at a restaurant or bar. You drink the sake from a small cup called sakazuki. Is sake always served neat or can it be used in cocktails or in food preparation?

Sake is an essential part of Japanese cuisine and it’s increasingly used as a cocktail ingredient these days. One of the signature cocktails at our Mandarin Bar, the ‘88’ is a sake-based cocktail for example. Should sake be drunk with food or by itself? Either way is fine, but if you’re not going to eat a meal while you’re drinking sake try to have it with some type of salty snack instead. What type of cuisine goes best with sake? Japanese cuisine in general is a good match. At Sushi SORA we serve around 25 brands of sake which have been carefully selected to go particularly well with sushi. That’s not to say sake doesn’t go well with other cuisines. Some sakes react well to herbs and go with French cuisine, and sake can taste good when paired with Chinese food too. Is there any etiquette or customs or traditions you should keep in mind when drinking sake? If you’re drinking with someone else, it’s good manners to pour servings for your partner – usually the younger person pours for the older person first. When someone’s pouring sake for you it’s polite to hold your sake cup up with one hand and to put the other hand under the cup.

Have a sip before putting the cup back on the table. Does sake have any significant ceremonial uses? In Japanese Shinto-style wedding ceremonies the bride and groom take turns sipping sake from three different bowls, each one larger than the one before. Sharing from the bowls is meant to represent sharing joys and sorrows. What is Sake? (with pictures) What is Sake? Last Modified Date: 25 December 2016 Copyright Protected: These 10 facts about space will blow your mind The word sake in Japanese can refer to any alcoholic beverage, but in general, it is used in English to mean a specific type of rice alcohol, also known as nihonshu. It is sometimes called rice wine, but in truth, it is not a wine, nor is it exactly a beer, nor a spirit. Sake is a rather unique type of fermented alcohol. To begin the fermentation process, rice is milled down until mostly only starch remains. At this point, the starch is fermented to turn into sugar, then further fermented so that the sugars transform into alcohol. This is somewhat similar to the production of beer, but unlike beer brewing, the starch breakdown is not caused by enzymes from the malt, but rather from a special mold.

After fermentation, sake is naturally cloudy from bits of particulate left from the grains. Some, such as nigori, is allowed to remain clouded, but the majority is filtered so that it is clear like a spirit. Sake is best enjoyed while fresh, so unlike wine and more like beer, it is rarely aged. Sake is fairly high in alcohol for a fermented drink, ranging from 14% to 16% alcohol — as compared to 8% to 14% for most wines, or 4% to 6% for most beers. When produced, sake usually contains around 20% alcohol, but most producers add water to dilute the drink to a more palatable 15%. Ad The original history of sake is not known. Some theories trace it back to mainland China nearly 7,000 years ago, while others place it in Japan sometime in the third century CE. By the seventh century, sake development had reached a fairly high point of sophistication, using a number of techniques borrowed from China. Production continued to improve for the next 500 years, with a number of new techniques and simplifications of older techniques being introduced.

During World War II, the sake industry was dealt a rather vicious blow, as rice, necessary for the war effort, became a critical commodity ; as a result of this great need, many producers began adding straight alcohol and sugar to their sake, reducing the quality in a process that continues in some varieties to this day. By the 1960s, however, sake was on the rebound, and by the 1990s, it had reached levels of quality unseen in its long history. Today, many breweries have returned to more classic methods of production, and sake is exported in enormous quantities — even while its popularity in Japan diminishes. Ad Sake.com: Sake Making 07/24/2003 [Part 2] "Sweet Sake and Dry Sake" Types of Sake There are many types of Sake, and of course, there must be some system to rank them. The various types and a short description are given in the chart below. In short, all Sake can be divided into two groups: that with added alcohol, and that made with rice only.

Amongst Sake with added alcohol, there are four groups, the first and largest of which is cheap Sake, in which lots of alcohol is added to increase yields. The other three groups of alcohol-added Sake are premium Sake (Honjozo, Ginjo-Sake and Dai-Ginjo-Sake), which have but a small amount of alcohol added. The difference between these three is how much the rice has been milled before brewing (see below). In the other group, Sake made with only rice, there are three groups: Junmai-Sake, Junmai-Ginjo, and Junmai-Dai-Ginjo. The difference between these three is, again, how much the rice has been milled before brewing. These parallel the differences between Honjozo, Ginjo-Sake and Dai-Ginjo-Sake above. Sake, as it is commonly known, is also sometimes referred to as Nihonshu, or even Seishu (legally). But here, we will always refer to it as Sake. There are also, of course, rules and laws that strictly define what Sake is.

Within these laws, Sake is officially known as "Seishu" and is defined as one of the following. Fermented from rice, rice-koji (the mold used to convert the starch in rice into fermentable sugars), and water, and then pressed through a mesh (to strain away the solids and yield a clear beverage). Fermented from rice, water, Sake-Kasu (the lees that remain after pressing Sake; these can still contain fermentable elements), rice-koji, and anything else accepted by law, and then pressed through a mesh. Sake to which Kasu has been added, and then passed through a mesh. As you can see, in 1) above, the definition is very strict and clear with respect to what can be used. But in 2), the definition is a lot more vague, and not as pure. Most mass produced Sake made today has pure distilled alcohol added to it. In very cheap Sake, there is quite a lot of this alcohol added. In premium Sake, often just a little alcohol is added. However, regardless of the amount, none of this Sake falls under the category 1) above.

Also, sometimes terms like "Super Ginjo" or "Specially Brewed" appear on labels. These are purely marketing terms, and are not at all recognized by the legal system of defining and ranking Sake. Until April of 1992, there was another system in place. At that time, Sake was designated as either 2nd Class, 1st Class, or Special Class. By default, all Sake was initially 2nd Class. However, if brewers wanted their Sake to be known as superior to most, they would submit a sample to the National Tax Office for sampling. The National Tax Office maintains a staff of professional Sake tasters for precisely this kind of thing. Why the tax office? Sake sales lead to more tax income. If the overall level of Sake is good, this means more taxes for the government. Makes sense, really. So, if the submitted Sake was deemed good enough for a 1st Class designation, or better still as Special Class designation, brewers were allowed to put this on the label. Naturally, such Sake commanded a higher price on the market, as quality was assured by the government. Also, the tax on such Sake was higher, too.

Note, too, that such sampling was based on tasting only; and it was only through taste and smell that the quality was assessed. The type of Sake rice, and the degree to which the rice was polished --both important factors in assessing quality of Sake in today's Sake world-- were not part of the assessment back then. To be continued. What is Sake? How is it made? How do you drink it? Find out here! Rice, Water, Koji and Yeast. Rice The rice used to make sake is not the same rice that Japanese people eat everyday on their tables. This rice or Sakamai or Shuzo Kotekimai has a rice grain that is larger and a starch content that is higher and more concentrated than ordinary rice. It also contains less proteins and lipids. It actually is not really that good to eat. The starch portion of the rice is called Shinpaku and is probably the most important single component in determining the quality of the product that will be brewed. Basically you can look at it this way.

Sake can be brewed from rice that has: Very little milled at all (little polishing away of the exterior of the grain of the rice to expose more of the starch --- generally above 70% of the grain remaining but there is no requirement). This will produce ordinary, everyday table sake similar to a table wine and is the majority of the sake produced (about 80%). Has been milled (outer proteins and fats are polished away to increasingly expose more of the pure central starch core) (about 20% of what is produced). Typically milling is "down" to 70%, 60%, or even 50% or less of its original size. So if a rice is not milled at all (100%) it will make the cheaper, ordinary table variety, whereas the 50% milled is the most premium and expensive variety. Study the chart below. It is a very good representation of, starting from the top, the best (most milled) premium classes (daiginjo) all the way down to the basically ordinary table class (futsu-shu).

And generally speaking, the more milled or refined or polished a rice is (50% being the most), the more delicate or smooth the taste will be. Ok. So you now know that in the chart above that Daiginjo is the top of the line premium class. But I guess you are wondering what the "distilled alcohol" addition is in the left hand column. Let's look at that in a moment. First lets talk about "Junmai-shu" or the right hand column. The one that says "Rice, Koji, Water, and Yeast". This is the one that is considered the "pure rice" variety. It contains only the 4 necessary elements. No Brewer's or distilled alcohol is added. Many brewers who make this type are proud of the purity of their product, and are glad it is not "contaminated" with distilled alcohol. Junmai-Shu is said to have a "heavy, full and rich body", with a stronger rice influenced flavor and higher acidic level than most other premium types. Its fragrance is also said to not be as prominent. Now let's talk about "Aru-ten" or the left hand column. This is the other school of thought.

The one that adds distilled alcohol during critical points in the brewing process. So why would you want to do this? Well, those in this camp say that doing so produces a more flavorful and fragrant sake. This is because the brewer's alcohol is added before the "mash" is pressed after fermentation, which extracts those flavors from the solids. Deciding which you like better will be something you will have to figure out based on your taste preferences. Water As you can probably imagine, water is also a very important part of the process. Not only is it used in almost every stage of the production from washing the rice to diluting the final product, it affects the final taste of the product dramatically. Although most brewers source their water from wells, some do get it from lakes and rivers while still a few just use filtered tap water. The source is not nearly as important however as how hard or soft a water is. A harder water, with more nutrient content, will cause the yeast to work faster and multiply which results in more sugar being turned into alcohol. This normally will result in a drier taste. Conversely, a softer water usually produces a sweeter taste.

Koji and Yeast Step 1 - Making Koji Koji is the name that is given to the mixture of steamed rice that has been sprinkled with Aspergillus oryzae (a mold) and allowed to ferment for 5 to 7 days. The role of the mold spores is to break down the starch molecules of the rice into simple sugars so that they can be broken down even more by the yeast in the next step of the process. When this step is completed, the Koji will have the smell of roasted chestnuts and will have a somewhat frosted exterior. Making the Koji is the first step of the brewing process. Step 2 - Making Yeast Starter (Moto) Now in this next step, the Koji (left picture above) is mixed with steamed rice, yeast and water (right picture above) and allowed to sit anywhere from 7 to 14 days to generate the high concentration of yeast cells needed for fermentation. Step 3 - Making Moromi Over the next 4 days, the yeast starter is mixed with more steamed rice, water and Koji 3 separate times. This incremental approach allows the yeast to catch up with the increasing volume of Moromi.

So normally, it kind of goes like this. On Day 1 the yeast starter is mixed with more steamed rice, water and Koji. On Day 2 it is given a day to "rest". On Day 3, again more steamed rice, water and Koji are added. On Day 4 one last addition of steamed rice, water and Koji are added. At the end of this process the size of the batch has effectively been tripled in size since it was started. Step 4 - Aging the Moromi At this point, the Moromi is allowed to sit in the tank and and ferment or "age" for 3-6 weeks. Step 5 - Shibori (Pressing) Assaku-ki Shibori (machine pressing) At the end of the fermentation period, the mash is pressed or squeezed through a mesh to separate the solids from the liquids. 99% of all sake is pressed using a machine called an assaku-ki (picture above). Here is where some brewers will add brewers alcohol to the mash before the pressing to extract the flavors and aromas that would otherwise be left behind in the solids. In cheap varieties, a large amount of brewers alcohol may be added to increase volume.

The remaining 1% of may be pressed using a fune (long box) or Shizuku (allowed only to drip from bags). Fune Shibori (Long Box Pressing) This is a gentler, more traditional way of extracting the liquid from the mash or Moromi and generally produces a better quality product. Basically, the it is extracted in 3 stages. 1st Stage In the first stage, the moromi is poured into long cotton bags and one layer of bags is placed in the bottom of the fune. The 1st 3rd of the sake to drain out of the bag and come out of the drain in the fune is called arabashiri or “first run”. 2nd Stage In this stage the bags are piled on top of each other which exerts a little pressure on the second 3rd of the extraction. This one is called nakadori and is usually considered the best quality for this type pressing. 3rd Stage The final 3rd is extracted by taking a lid and putting it on top of the bags and exerting a little pressure on them. This pressing is called the Seme.

Shizuku Shibori (Drip Pressing) This method supposedly produces the best sake as no pressure at all is used. The long bags filled are filled with moromi, hung and allowed to drip. This is the most time intensive way to press, even though no pressing is actually involved. Step 6 - Pasteurization, Aging and Bottling Normally, after pressing most sake is filtered, pasteurized and then aged for 6 months. Then after aging, it is diluted with water to lower the alcohol content (which is usually around 20%) before it is bottled. So is Sake more like Beer or Wine? That seems to be the age old question, doesn't it? Well, in all honesty depending on what you are talking about, it is like both. Take a look at the chart above. From a brewing standpoint, it is similar to beer in that the starch (rice for sake and normally malt for beer) is converted to glucose or sugar before being turned into alcohol during fermentation. Wine skips this starch to sugar step because fruit juices are essentially already sugar so wine can go straight to fermentation.

For sake this is done by adding Koji-kin or Aspergillus oryzae (a mold) to steamed rice. For beer, when the malt (usually barley that has been partially germinated and then slowly dried in a kiln so as to not disturb the enzymes in the grain) is added to hot water during the "mashing" process the naturally occurring enzyme in the grain converts the starch to glucose. And for beer, this "saccarification" results in a 1st step liquid referred to as "Wort". For Sake, the Koji is mixed with steamed rice, yeast and water continuing the "saccarification" process and simultaneously starting the alcohol fermentation process at the same time. The resultant mixture is what is pressed. The beer "Wort", moves on to another tank called a "copper" or "kettle" where it is mixed with hops, etc., then to "whirlpool" to separate out solid particles and then a heat exchanger to cool it down before ending up in a fermentation tank where the yeast is finally added. This is the 2nd stage type process done in beer that is done all together in the making of sake.

Which is what makes the beer and sake brewing process different. But they both are brewed. Which give them that similarity. So O.K. Let's recap. Beer and sake are similar because they both use grains that have to be converted to glucose or sugar before they are fermented (whereas wine is made from fruit and can go straight to fermentation) but they are different during fermentation because sake fermentation occurs simultaneously along with saccharification in 1 step whereas beer fermentation occurs only after saccharification making it essentially 2 steps. So what about wine you say? Well first, the definition of wine is "an alcoholic drink made from the fermented juice of a fruit, such as grapes". And rice is not a fruit and is incapable of making any kind of juice. So when you hear of sake being referred to as "rice wine", that is totally inaccurate. It can't be a wine. But here's the other side of this weird coin. It is drunk more like a wine. It is normally best served chilled, sometimes even in wine glasses, and especially if it is a premium sake like some wines are. And it has tastes and flavors and nuances that are more accurately compared to wines rather than beer.

So from a selection, tasting, and consumption standpoint sake is more like a wine. Totally confused? Good! Let's figure out how to go and pick you out something to drink! How to make your Pick Well, I guess you figured out by now that all of previous stuff we just trudged through, was leading up to something...well, Yeah! Drinking!!! Ok. Getting ahead of myself here. I guess we gotta pick out something to drink first, don't we :-) You know, this is going to be kinda like picking out a wine. Hit and miss. Yeah, bummer. But I think by looking back on the some of the previous info on this page we might can narrow down what you might tend to like by comparing it to what you like in a wine. If you don't drink wine, well...uhhh...I can't help ya. Just kidding. Here's the handy dandy classification chart again to reference while we're talking. Pick a "Ginjo" I think I'm going to hit this one hard and fast and make a recommendation right off the bat.

If you are new to drinking sake, either have not had it before or have had it (maybe some cheap heated up stuff at a sushi restaurant... sound familiar?) but maybe it didn't taste as good as you had hoped it would (ok, maybe it even tasted kind of like crap...) Or maybe you have tried it before but don't feel like you know what you are doing or have no sense of direction... Then this suggestion is for you. Look at the chart above. When you go to the liquor store: Look only at the sake that has "ginjo" in the name or on the bottle. If you do nothing else, do that. That by itself will probably get you into the top 10 - 15 % of all the varieties made. Pretty good for your first shot at it, huh? If you don't mind spending a little more money, and want to start out with a top of the line pick, then select one with "diaginjo" somewhere on the bottle. Picking one with diaginjo or ginjo on the bottle will be the single best thing you can do to give sake a fair shot at impressing you. This will be the best of the premium varieties. So.

To keep it simple, if you remember nothing else, remember that. Pick a "Ginjo". Narrowing down your "Ginjo" - Do you like your's Junmai? or not? So you've decided to go "Ginjo". Maybe you've already tried one or two and want to up your game by adding some focus, or maybe you've yet to pick one out but you want to have some kind of purpose and method to your selection instead of it being all madness. Either way, a good way to start off might be to pick a "type" that you think may be most appropriate for you and focus on that. For instance. Maybe money is no object and you want to try the best. So start off by trying one within the Daiginjo class (where the rice has been milled at least 50%). Try both Daiginjo (distilled alcohol added) and Junmai Daiginjo (no distilled alcohol added). Pick one of each from the same brewer (if they make both) and compare. See which you like better. The Daiginjo should tend to be light, refined, delicate, maybe complex and have nice aromatics.

Some might say a little more well rounded because the alcohol extracts other flavors and aromatics from the moromi. The Junmai Daiginjo should also be light and refined and delicate also but maybe a little fuller with a stronger rice influenced flavor. A little more acidic. Taste is relative. In the end, what you like is what you should drink. There is no right and wrong. Now, if you don't have the pocket book for Daiginjo, then do the same thing stated above but drop down to Ginjo. In the end, hopefully this exercise will help you determine generally whether you prefer your's Junmai or not. What if I want to try something that has some of the same flavor notes as my favorite wine? Well, there may be some things to look for to help you accomplish that. Regardless of where your focus is on the chart, whether you are hitting the diaginjo, or just ginjo or junmai or honjozo the following should apply. We will focus on finding something either sweeter or drier because that seems to be a major common point of preference for most wine people. Some people drink both...but MOST people prefer either dry or sweet or at least something that leans more toward drier or sweeter.

So, let's see if we can try to determine that when we go shopping. Some labels will have helpful info already on them. You can see this one is a "Junmai" (if you been paying attention, you already know what that is :-) Above is another one. A Junmai Ginjo. Nihonshu-do or SMV (Sake Meter Value) This can often be found on the bottle and is a general indicator of dryer versus sweeter. Normally the range is in the -5 to +15 range with -5 being the sweetest and +15 being the driest. A good way to remember how to use this scale as a reference is, "Higher is drier". Other terms to look for: Karakuchi - Dry Tanrei - Light and refined Omoi - Heavy These terms can be used in combination also. As an example, tanrei karakuchi is both light and dry. So what do you do with Futsu-shu? Everything up to now has been focused above this class. This is the "working" class stuff. The table variety. 80% of all the sake made falls in this range. And its not bad per se. You can drink it.

But you want to know what I really like to do with it? I like to cook with it. I keep a bottle of Gekkeikan around all the time to cook with. If a recipe asks for wine, I consider using this. This is kind of a secret that I'll let you in on. This is the secret ingredient I use in my spaghetti sauce. Believe it or not, it leaves a beautifully smooth, slightly sweet after taste that I cannot get with anything else. It is really nice in almost any tomato dish. Lasagna sauce? Yep. Stew? Uh, huh. Its great. Give it a try. Its also good in marinades too. Try it in your homemade teriyaki sauce. Any recipe that calls for or you would use wine in, try using sake. You won't be disappointed. And finally, I might heat some and drink it. If I don't have a nice cool diaginjo to sip on, or I feel like drinking some warm sake, I might heat up some Gekkeikan. Its actually kind of nice sometimes for a change. How to Drink your Sake Wow. I can't believe we are actually bringing this discussion to a close.

We've learned some history, found out how it's made, looked at whether its more like beer or wine, picked some out...and now...we are ...F I N A L L Y... Ready to Drink some!!! What to drink Cold Generally, the premium variety is meant to be consumed "chilled". This would include anything with "Ginjo" in the name. Cool (59°F, like white wine) Chilled (50°F) Cold (41°F) Most refrigerators are recommended to be set between 35 and 38 degrees; so based on that, you may need to let your bottle set out at room temperature for about 15 minutes before pouring to get it in and around the 50 degree range. As for the vessel, I would recommend using a wine glass for premium chilled sake. You will be able to swirl and smell it if you'd like, similar to what you would do with a fine wine. The premium ones do have distinct, fruity, and aromatic notes similar to those of wines which a good wine glass should be able to make more prominent.

What to drink Warm Robust and full-bodied ones like Honjozo and Junmai are best served warm---around body temperature (95-98 degrees). Futsu-shu should also be warmed. Look at the picture below on the left. Those are 3 examples of vessels called "tokkuri". This is what you would put your sake in before you heat it and then serve it from afterwards. In the middle we have a traditional sake cup. Notice the concentric circles in the bottom. That is used to determine clarity. On the right, the wooden box is called a "masu". Originally, and for over 1300 years a masu was used to measure rice, but is now more commonly known to be used to serve sake. Warm (95°F) Very Hot (more than 131°F, but not to be boiled) To warm your sake: Fill a small pot about 1/2 full of water and heat to just near boiling. Turn off the heat. Place the tokkuri filled with sake in the water.

Allow to sit between 3-5 minutes or until the sake is around 98 degrees (this will vary based on the starting temperature of the sake) You can pick up the tokkuri and use your finger to feel the depression under the bottom of it to gauge what the temperature of the sake is. With a little experience you will be able to quickly gauge the perfect drinking temperature. How to Serve Sake There are a few "rules" of etiquette when it comes to drinking your beverage. The main ones are: Never pour your own drink. It is considered impolite. Lift your glass or cup for your companion to fill and then fill your companions cup. If you remember the 2 rules above, and pour for your companion as in the pictures above, or allow your companion to fill your cup as seen in the pictures above, you will be well ahead of the game. And not to split hairs here or anything, but the guy (or girl?) on the left is holding his cup more "properly" than the guy in the right picture because it is better to hold your cup with one hand around the cup and the other hand under the cup. Just sayin'...

What to Eat with your Sake Should you drink Sake while eating your Sushi? The quick, "proper" answer is No. The reason that most feel this is not really proper is that since sake is made from rice and sushi is essentially anything served with sushi rice then the flavors of the two together are more redundant or tend to conflict rather than complement each other. Now, if you don't care, or don't agree or you just freakin' like sake with your sushi, then I say "Go for it!". It really does boil down to what you like. Drink Sake with Sashimi This is where it is the most appropriate or even encouraged. Sashimi is not sushi. Rather it is just the meat with no sushi rice. Usually served with daikon (shredded japanese white radish) and normally it is the first thing you will order and eat before ordering your sushi. For more on this visit eating your sushi or read my article on this subject on ezinearticles . Try Sake with meals you would normally order Wine with As you become more experienced with the different types and flavors, you will see that it does have a lot in common with wine and does tend to pair with food similar to the way that wine does.

You will definitely get some attention and seen as a ground breaker around your friends, family and co-workers when you go "non-traditional" and order a nice premium sake with your filet instead of a Pinot Noir or Cabernet Savignon. Wouldn't it be cool if you could open up this new, unconventional, and virtually unknown aspect of drink and food pairing to others? In Closing... On that note, I'd like to end this by thanking you for sticking with me to the end of this very long page on Sake. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you are wanting to continue your education on this subject, then I'd like to recommend you head on over to Sake World . My friend John Gauntner is one of the foremost experts in the world. If anybody's got the answers to your questions, John does. Like this Page? What Is Sake? | LEAFtv What Is Sake? By Lana M. Ulrich Sake is an alcoholic beverage made from rice. The beverage has a long history, dating back to ancient Japan. Yet sake is still widely consumed today, even in the United States, where it is both imported from abroad and made in-country.

History Sake (pronounced “sa-ki”), also known as “rice wine,” is believed to have originated in Japan approximately around the time that rice-planting methods were introduced to the country, around the third century B.C. According to Sake.com, before and during World War II, Japanese Sake manufacturers began adding alcohol in the process of Sake brewing in order to add volume to their beverage production. Types of Sake There are five basic types of sake, identified by two qualities: the percentage of rice polished away, or milled, before production, and whether or not distilled alcohol has been added. For instance, Junmai-shu is pure rice wine that does not contain distilled alcohol, whereas Honjozo-shu has a tad of added distilled alcohol, with about 30 percent of the rice polished away. Ginjo-shu has 40 percent of the rice milled away, while Daiginjo-shu has 50 percent of the rice polished away, and Namazake is an unpasteurized sake that incorporates all four types above. How Sake is Made First, rice is polished to remove unwanted layers of protein and oils, then washed and soaked.

After soaking, the rice is either steamed or boiled in a large pot. Seed mash, or shubo, is created from a combination of koji, steamed rice, yeast, lactic acid and water, and cultivated over 10 to 15 days. Once the starter mash is ready, more of the same ingredients (yeast, steamed rice) are slowly added, resulting in the main mash, which ferments for two to six weeks, then is pressed. Finally, the sake is allowed to mature in tanks for several months until it is ready to be bottled. Alcoholic Content According to esake.com, the alcohol content of sake is generally between 15 percent and 17 percent alcohol. This is a content greater than beer and most wines, but less than distilled spirits such as vodka or whiskey, which can be 30 percent alcohol or higher. Moreover, in a typical serving of sake, usually a 5.5-oz. glass, there are between 180 and 240 calories, or 20 to 27 grams of carbohydrates.

Storage and Use Sake should be kept in a cool, dark place, and after opening, should be kept in the refrigerator ( According to Jal.com, fresh sake, called “namazake” in Japanese but often referred to as “draft” sake in English, is not pasteurized and should always be refrigerated. Once opened, a bottle of sake should be consumed within a day or two. References and Resources Sake 101: A Basic Intro with Amazing Cocktail Recipes By Colleen Graham Updated June 30, 2016. Sake is a rice-based alcohol primarily made in Japan that is commonly called rice wine, though this is technically incorrect. It can be a confusing beverage if you're new to it, but it is a great drink and if you haven't tasted a sake cocktail yet, now is a great time to begin. What is Sake? Sake is typically referred to as "rice wine" but it is actually produced by brewing, in the same way as beer. It is a clear, low proof, alcoholic beverage that is made from rice, yeast, water and koji (a sort of sweet, fragrant mold injected into steamed rice or barley to aid fermentation).

Sake is categorized based on grade, style and the amount of polishing the rice receives. These are important factors when picking out a good bottle of sake, as you will see below. A label may have each of these three elements on it to indicate the sake's quality (i.e. Junmai Ginjo Genshu). Then there are sake-based liqueurs like TyKu Liqueur . Sake should also not be confused with soju (or shochu) , which is a Korean spirit that is produced from rice or grains like barley. continue reading below our video How to Sharpen a Knife Like a Professional Before we get into all the technicalities of sake, let's learn how to drink it! How to Drink Sake There are two ways to drink sake straight: either hot or cold. A premium sake is best chilled while lower grades like futsu-shu are best served warm. There are traditional sake sets available that include small cups and a small carafe (usually also heat-proof) which you can use to serve sake to guests. It is also appropriate to pour sake for the person next to you and allow them to do the same for you, never pouring your own if you have company.

Buy Sake Sets on Amazon.com Sake Cocktail Recipes More and more often sake is finding its way into cocktails. It is the perfect base as it's as nearly 'tasteless' as vodka and can be mixed with a variety of flavors. Basic Grades of Sake Sake is graded with junmai being the highest quality and futsu-shu the lowest. Junmai - No additional alcohol is added to this sake and it is the purest grade. If a label doesn't say "junmai," then some additive has been used. Honjozo - This sake includes a small amount of brewer's alcohol to bring out its flavors and is only produced in Japan. Futsu-shu - This is a very basic sake without any regulations and is considered to be the quality of a table wine. Because heat masks impurities in sake, this one is typically served hot. Styles of Sake Most sake is bottled at 15-16% alcohol by volume , with the exception of genshu. Genshu - Full strength sake that is undiluted and typically bottled at 18-20%. Koshu - Sake that has been aged .

Nama - A sake that is unpasteurized and needs to be refrigerated. Nigori - This sake tends to have a cloudy appearance because it is filtered less than others. Rice Polishing Rice is polished to remove the husk, bran and a portion of the germ. The sake designations below indicate the amount of polishing the rice has received and is the primary factor in finding a good sake. It seems contradictory, but the less polished rice produces what is considered a high-quality sake. This is because there is more flavor left in the rice. Dainginjo - Ultra-premium sake with rice polished 35-49%. Ginjo - Premium sake with rice polished 50-60%. Tokubetsu Junmai - Junmai sake made from rice polished at least 65%. Junmai - Traditionally a rice that has been polished 70%, but now all the producer has to do is indicate the percentage on the bottle. How to Store Sake As stated above, sake is not a wine so it should not be stored like a wine because it does not improve with age. Here are a few tips for keeping your sake fresh...

Most sake labels will have a bottling date on them and it is best to drink them as close to this date as possible. Nama sake should be refrigerated because it is not pasteurized. Unopened bottles should be kept in the refrigerator and can stay there for up to 16 months. If you intend to open it within a week, a wine chiller will suffice. Opened bottles of sake should be capped and refrigerated and will last around 2 weeks. Sake 101: A drinker’s guide to Japanese rice wine | Columbus Crave Sake 101: A drinker’s guide to Japanese rice wine By Faith Durand From the Spring 2013 edition Photos by Will Shilling To a wine-lover, a Japanese restaurant’s sake list can be disorienting. There are no comfortable grape varietals—chardonnay, pinot grigio, cabernet sauvignon—to guide you, and in their place there are unfamiliar terms like nigori, ginjo and junmai. But these are words worth exploring, as sake offers a delicious drinking experience. What is sake?

Sake (pronounced sah-keh, not sak-ee) is an alcoholic beverage made from rice. Its alcohol content is higher than most wines, with an ABV of 15 to 20 percent. What makes sake different from other wines? Technically, sake is not a wine at all. “Sake is actually closer to beer,” explains Emma Christensen, author of “True Brews: How to Craft Fermented Cider, Beer, Wine, Sake, Soda, Mead, Kefir and Kombucha at Home.” “Sake is made in a double fermentation process that has more in common with beer brewing.” How is sake made? Sake begins with special short-grain sake rice that has been polished to remove some of its outer layers. The rice is fermented by a fungus, and simultaneously by yeast. It is usually aged for about six months. What kinds of sake are there? Sake is classified by how finely milled the rice is before brewing. The more polished the rice, the higher the grade of sake. At the bottom: Futsu-shu (or just futsu—shu simply means “sake”).

Honjozo is a mid-grade sake, followed by ginjo and daiginjo (both premium). These all include additional distilled alcohol. Junmai sake, on the other hand, is brewed only with rice and no extra alcohol is added. Is premium sake better than lower grades? The higher (more expensive) grades have different flavors. But sake of all grades and classifications can be delicious and wonderful to drink. The best sake is balanced, no matter its dominant flavor. What’s the difference between filtered and unfiltered sake? Most sake is filtered to smooth its flavor, but nigori sake is left unfiltered, with cloudy rice sediment left in the bottle. Unfiltered sake tends to be fuller and sweeter, and this sweetness makes it a good introductory sake. Is warm sake inferior? Heating some premium sakes would destroy their nuances. But other sakes are actually best when gently warmed—and can be profoundly wonderful on a cold day. Restaurant menus and sake bottles will indicate when a sake can be served warm. When should I drink sake? Does it go with food? The right sake is delicious with food.

“I go for a middle-grade sake such as junmai-shu,” says Kanji Nakatani, the chef of Soba Ra, a restaurant in Kamikawa, Japan. “I would not order daiginjo or ginjo because they will get in the way of tasting the food.” On the other hand, sake can be so delicate that you can lose some of its nuances when drinking with food. “If you really want to learn about sake,” says Christensen, “drink it on its own.” How can I choose a sake I’ll enjoy off a restaurant menu? Pay attention to the different classifications of sake, and order a different one each time, focusing on the characteristics of each. Look for unique elements. “I like sake that has some kind of character,” says Christensen. She looks for interesting descriptors on the restaurant’s list, like “sour” or “tropical flavors.” Beyond this, lean on your server or the chef to help you find a sake you’ll enjoy. Describe the flavors you’re looking for. Sake’s flavors may be subtle, but they can lean sweet, dry, fruity or clean. “Sake is a really nuanced drink,” says Christensen. “It’s not going to hit you over the head.

But if you drink it and really pay attention, it can have a lot going on.” What foods go well with sake? The clean flavors of most sakes pair well with nearly any fish preparation, or with simple, comforting dishes like soba or udon. “Sake can be great with salad,” says Christensen. “Its sweeter flavor balances bitter greens.” Where to drink sake in Columbus Exploring sake for the first time? We asked a few of our favorite Japanese restaurants to share their picks for beginners. Akai Hana 1173 Old Henderson Rd., Upper Arlington Pomoko, the general manager at this always-packed sushi bar, recommends Onigoroshi, which they serve in a Japanese cedar box to enhance the flavor of the sake. “Guests like the cedar smell and taste,” she says. Kihachi 2667 Federated Blvd., Dublin Chef Michael Kimura of the quietly fabulous Kihachi recommends Kira, a very crisp and dry honjozo sake that he serves cold in a weighty glass. “This is very good with food,” he told us.

Sushi En 1051 Gemini Pl., Polaris James Gillis, the manager of this lively Polaris favorite, looks to customers’ preferences before suggesting sake. “When people are curious about sake I ask them how they take their usual wines. Sweet? Dry? Somewhere in between?” he explains. If a guest, for instance, enjoys dry white wines, he would recommend Ozeki—a dry, crisp, clean sake served chilled, and refreshing without a strong alcohol aftertaste. Faith Durand is the executive editor of thekitchn.com. Search

Question: What is sake made from?
Answer: Rice